San Diego To Open Its First Absinthe Bar
By Rebekah Gonzalez
October 28, 2021
A new French bar and restaurant opening in San Diego will be serving all things absinthe.
According to Eater San Diego, Wormwood will be the first absinthe bar to operate in the city.
The new spot is scheduled to open by mid-November in the space that was formerly known as Jayne's Gastropub on 30th street.
After 13 years of business, the pub announced it would not be reopening after temporarily shutting down on March 15 due to the pandemic, Eater reported back in August 2020.
The 1,700 square-foot restaurant and bar will have a vintage Paris design as well as a brick-walled courtyard and patio that leads to a semi-private event space called "Le Jardin Secret."
According to Eater, the menu will feature French classics using local ingredients from Southern California and Baja.
The culinary team includes chef Janina Garay, chef Danny Romero, and his brother and sous chef Dante Romero.
The owner Amar Harrag told Eater the Wormwood will have an absinthe collection of over 30 varieties sourced from Europe and the U.S.
The high alcohol drink (148 proof) is an anise-flavored spirit derived from several plants like the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium.
You've likely seen dramatized tellings of the drink's effects like this classic scene from the movie Girls Trip.